Timing, Rhythm and the Fifth Position

When we begin to read music in the middle area of the neck, this is called the fifth position and most melodies can be played in this range. The fifth position gives each of the left hand fingers a single fret: the index, or first, finger will play all the notes across the fifth fret; the middle, or second, finger will play all notes across the sixth fret; the ring, or third, finger will play all notes across the seventh fret; and the pinkie, or fourth, finger will play all the notes across the eighth fret. Bear in mind, that these are only general rules and fingering will eventually vary the more difficult music becomes.

Pickup Notes

There are different techniques for counting pickup notes but if a pickup note is used at the beginning of a piece of music, the last measure much be an incomplete measure to make up for it. The total number of beats in the last measure plus the total number of beats in the pickup will then equal one full measure. Remember the “law and order” authority? The time signature? Don’t mess with him. If you don’t have the amount of beats the time signature orders, you must make them up somewhere – thus pickup notes.

Tied Rhythms

You have probably seen a curved line connecting two notes of the same pitch while reviewing many pieces of music. This tie is used when a pitch must be sustained across the border of a measure so this curved line combines the time value of both notes it connects. The second note is not played again, but held.

Syncopation

You have probably heard the term and wondered what syncopation really is. It applies to a shifting away from the beat to place emphasis on parts of the measure that are not normally accented. Rhythms that are syncopated are known as syncopated figures. If an upbeat eighth note is tied across a measure, it creates a form of syncopation known as rhythmic anticipation.

There are many important concepts to learn when playing this rhythm. First, upbeat eighth note attacks will always be played with an upstroke of your pick. Secondly, always feel the downbeat rest by both tapping your foot and counting. A good example of this rhythm is the Rolling Stones’ “Satisfaction” which combines downbeats with upbeat eighth-note attacks, first establishing the beat, then syncopating it. (Just hum the first few bars. You will get my drift).

Eighth-quarter-eighth syncopation is one of the most common syncopated figures in contemporary music. It is very important to be able to hear, feel and count this rhythm in all tempos.

Chart Reading

Guitar players need to be able to read standard musical notation AND contemporary chart notation. Chart notation is a form of shorthand that typically uses chord symbols and slashes instead of specific notes and rhythms, and also makes extensive use of what are called road map directions – reading cues and notation shortcuts like double bar lines, repeat signs, codas, etc.

Hash marks are those slash symbols used in chart notations which a more experienced guitarist would interpret as chord charts to be freely played in any chord voice and any “feel right” rhythm within the overall groove. Though the rhythm and chord voicing is open to interpretation, they must be characteristic of the chart’s style and fit in with what the rest of the band is playing.

In previous parts of this series we learned that bar lines can mean the end of our composition – the one thin line and one thick line. Two thin bar lines can mean the end of a section of music which you would read through as if it were an ordinary single bar line. Musicians find these bar lines helpful when reading a chart because they help the ear hear the phrases. Also, if you get lost in a chart (and yes, it will happen to everyone), finding the next double bar line can help you find the next section and get back in sync with the rest of your band.

Most phrases are four bars long, and most sections are multiples of these four-bar lengths. It is very common to read a chart where a double bar line shows up at intervals of 8, 12, 16, 24 or 32 bars (measures).

Repeat signs usually occur in pairs. There will be a right-facing repeat sign and a left-facing one. These tell you to repeat the music between the two signs before moving on to the next section.

Fine is an Italian word meaning “the end”. After you have followed all the road map directions in a chart, you actually stop playing when you read the word Fine, though it can be found anywhere in a chart. Most often, it will be at the end, under or behind the final double bar line.

Da Capo is also Italian meaning “the head”. Sometimes a song requires you to replay all or part of the chart again, beginning at the top; the letters “D.C.” are written at the point where you are to return to the beginning. Da Capo is usually accompanied by D.C. al Fine (go back to the beginning of the chart and play to the Fine sign).

The Italian phrase “Dal Segno” means “from the sign.” When a chart is repeated from a point other than the beginning (anywhere, really) the letters D.S. and its symbol are used. The letters D.S. are placed at the point when you are to jump back, while the sign indicates where you are to begin repeating from. Often, D.S. will be used with D.S. al Fine (jump back to the sign, continue playing until you reach Fine.)

Coda is a section of music added to the end of a chart. The first coda sign marks the point where you will jump ahead to the next coda sign and continue playing until you reach the final double bar line or Fine. Coda signs are never observed until the second time through a section and are often used in conjunction with D.C. or D. S. road map indication. D. S. al Coda means to jump back to the sign and continue playing until you have reached the first coda sign, at which place you should jump to the second coda sign at the end of the chart and continue playing until reaching the end.